1. Technical Field
The disclosure relates generally to devices used for moving objects. Still more particularly, the disclosure relates to devices that aid in sliding heavy objects.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the aircraft manufacturing process, a common part of constructing the aircraft may be to install seats, such as passenger seats, in the aircraft. Often, aircraft manufacturers might not design and build the seats, but rather may install pre-built seat assemblies provided to the aircraft manufacturer.
In the past, these seat assemblies may not have been extremely heavy, meaning that one or a few technicians, mechanics, assemblers, workers, or other personnel could manually lift the seat assemblies and then install them. However, over time, seat assemblies may have increased in weight. Currently, some seat assemblies may be, for example, without limitation, as heavy as about 600 pounds or more for a seat assembly. At this weight, even a team of technicians may have difficulty manually lifting and installing the seat assemblies.
A seat assembly may be considered one or more seats, sometimes built as an integrated unit, which may in some advantageous embodiments include more than one seat. In an advantageous embodiment, a single seat may be referred to as a “single seat assembly.” In an advantageous embodiment an assembly of two seats may be referred to as a “double seat assembly.” In an advantageous embodiment, an assembly of three seats may be referred to as a “triple seat assembly.” Thus, a seat assembly may have as few as one seat, but may have as many as, for example, without limitation, four or more seats. Seat assemblies may be arranged in rows upon installation on an aircraft. In some advantageous embodiments, seat assemblies might be moved as a row. In other advantageous embodiments, a seat assembly might be, itself, referred-to as a row of seats. In any case, a seat assembly may, in some advantageous embodiments without limitation, be considered a single unit which may be moved as a single unit.
The process of lifting, installing, or both lifting and installing a seat assembly may be referred to as seat handling. Seat handling solutions continue to be elusive, especially for business class seat assemblies. Seat assemblies continue to grow in complexity and mass. Seat assembly complexity is also an issue, because complex seat assemblies or certain designs of seat assemblies may render maneuvering heavy seat assemblies more difficult.
These seat assemblies may be maneuvered in the airplane and may be handled several times before final installation in their designated spots within the aircraft. For example, seat assemblies may be loaded into the fuselage tube before final body join of the aircraft. In this case, the seat assemblies may be positioned out of the way of the location where the final body join takes place and then moved again thereafter. Thus, seat assemblies may be moved around again during the join process, as well as possibly during installation of other items. Once carpet is down and the passenger cabin prepared, seat assemblies may be moved into their final designated locations and locked down. Thus, these heavy seat assemblies may be moved several times during the installation process.
In the past, seat assemblies may have been brought into the airplane through a passenger door once the aircraft fuselage tube may have been joined and the aircraft moved into a final assembly position. Originally, seat assemblies may have been carried into the plane by the installation crew. However, the continuing increase in the weight of seat assemblies may make this practice impractical in some situations.
These seat handling processes may require more time and expense than desired. Furthermore, a seat assembly may be moved or replaced after initial installation, such as during maintenance. As a result, the time, expense, and difficulty to both assemble and maintain an aircraft may be increased. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have a method and apparatus, which takes into account one or more of the issues discussed above as well as possibly other issues.